Dark Day in the Deep Sea

unbearably sad, as if it came from the heart of the ocean.
    “IMMMMMNOOOOOMONNNSTERRR!” The octopus fell back into the water. All the seamen and scientists stared in wonder and terror.
    Then Annie’s voice rang through the silence. “Did you hear him? He said, ‘Let me go home. I’m no monster.’”
    The crew looked at each other in shock.
    “That’s what ’e said. I heard it,” one man said. “Heard it with my own ears.”
    “I heard it, too!” said another.
    “Me too!” said another.
    “It’s a sign,” said a sailor. “We can’t hurt ’im—”
    “Or any other like ’im!” said another.
    All eyes turned to the captain. He stood still for a moment, staring down at the giant octopus in the net. The captain looked at the professor. The professor seemed stunned. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
    The captain looked at Jack and Annie. “Please hear him,” Annie said. “He told you the truth.”
    The captain stared at the octopus for a long moment. Then he raised his hand. “Free him,” he said softly.
    The sailors slowly put down their harpoons, axes, pistols, and ropes.
    “Sir, I request permission to cut the creature from the net,” Henry said to the captain.
    The captain nodded. “Permission granted, Mr. Moseley,” said the captain.
    “Help me,” Henry said to Jack and Annie.
    “Sure!” said Jack.
    “We’ll come, too, mate,” said Joe.
    Joe and Tommy hurried after Henry, Jack, and Annie to a row of small boats on the deck. The sailors lowered one of the boats down to the surface of the water. Then Jack, Annie, Joe, Tommy, and Henry all climbed down the ladder and stepped inside.
    Everyone else watched from the deck. Joe and Tommy rowed along the side of the ship until they came to the spot where the giant octopus was trapped. The two sailors held the boat steady with their oars. “Grab the net,” Henry said to Jack and Annie.
    Jack reached out and grabbed a corner of the net. Annie helped him pull it out of the water. Henry used a big knife to slice through the thick rope strands.

    Even though the rowboat rocked violently, Jack didn’t feel sick at all.
    Jack, Annie, and Henry pulled the torn net into the small boat. Jack kept staring at the octopus. He looked back at all of them with his greateyes, his tentacles spread about him like a giant flower. His fierce red color had changed back to gray.
    “Good-bye, you,” Annie said softly. “Go home now.”
    The octopus lifted two of his tentacles as if to wave good-bye. Then he slipped under the surface of the water and vanished.

J ack looked up. The captain, the professor, and the crew members were all gazing silently down at the water.
    Henry gave the captain a salute. The captain saluted back. Then everyone on board clapped and shouted.
    Overhead the clouds had disappeared, as if a curtain had been pulled away from the sky. Pink and red swirls of light streaked the blue.
    The cheering died down. “Let us disturb these waters no more!” commanded the captain.“Unfurl the sails! Get the steam up in the boilers!”
    Henry turned to Jack and Annie. “While they prepare the ship, shall we return you to shore?” he asked.
    “Yes, please,” said Annie.
    Jack just nodded. He was totally exhausted.
    As Joe and Tommy started rowing back toward land, the wind shifted and died down to a breeze.
    “I predict a fine, clear night tonight,” said Tommy.
    “And tomorrow, too,” said Joe. “The wind should be brisk.”
    “A good time to sail,” said Tommy.
    When they drew close to shore, Tommy and Joe both jumped out of the boat. Splashing through the shallows, they pulled the boat up onto the beach. Jack and Annie hopped out. Henry climbed out after them.
    “Thanks!” Jack said to the sailors.
    Henry walked with Annie and Jack up to the dunes. “Are you sure you’ll be all right?” he asked. “What will you do when night comes on?”
    “Don’t worry,” said Jack. “We’ll get back to our parents before dark.”
    “Lucky you,” Henry said wistfully. “I wish I could be back to my own family before dark.”
    “I hope you keep having a good voyage,” said Annie.
    “And I hope you learn a lot,” said Jack. “Bye.”
    “Wait, before you go—” said Henry. “I want to give you something.” Henry reached into the pocket of his vest and took out the beautiful nautilus shell. “The real reason I ran into my lab when the storm came was to get this,” he said. “I didn’t want to risk losing it.